LEE Clark felt that a ‘flat’ Birmingham City opening to the game paved the way for their downfall against Ipswich Town.

“The first-half was just totally against where we’ve been the last week, the three performances,” he said.

“It was just flat, we’ve never been on the front foot, we’ve never taken gambles, we’ve never been on the move. It gave Ipswich the impetus, it gave them the ascendancy, they’ve got something to hang onto with the goal.

“We played as if we felt we just had to turn up to get the result first-half. That was the key for me.

"We didn’t run aggressively without the ball, we didn’t give the man on the ball options, we just thought it was going to happen. Second-half we’ve changed things around and created opportunities, we’ve had clear cut chances and could have won the game.

“We did things that we should have done from first minute - we played at a high tempo, got the ball in the Ipswich box, created problems for them. But we shouldn’t be in the position where we’ve having to chase the game.”

Clark continued: “We’ve got to start getting the crowd with us at home. We’ve done it the last week away from home, at tough places. We’re so inconsistent at the moment, it’s crazy.”

DJ Campbell returned to haunt Blues with the only goal of the match in the eighth minute.

It came after Nathan Redmond misplaced a pass, straight to Lee Martin.

Clark chided Redmond in the context of a wider analysis of Blues beginning to the match.

"We’ve got to come out of the traps and play at a high tempo and we didn’t do it, or all the things I’d asked of them," said the manager.

"We didn’t play in Ipswich’s half of the pitch first 15 or 20 minutes and get the ball up to the strikers, play off them take gambles in terms of the wide men. We played into their hands and the goal was absolutely dreadful.

"It’s not the first time it’s happened. We’ve told young Nathan time and time again about squaring back passes across the pitch. Go forward, be positive.

"But the whole first-half we just thought we could turn up and play and continue where we left off and try and be a pretty footballing team. We’ve got to earn the right."

Nikola Zigic’s appearance as a substitute perked Blues, although he fluffed two good chances.

“He’s a good finisher usually in those situations and we expect him to put them in, in those situations with the header and the one on one.

"The big fella, to be fair to him, has done well. He's won every single header, his touch was good, he's made good movement, he's worked hard."

He caused them untold problems, we had people running off him - didn't have that first-half - people did work without ball, people took a gamble.

"We should have won the game really. In reality we should have won it 3-1. We had three great chances - two for Nikola, and other opportunities for Curtis Davies etc.

"In all honesty we should have won the game but we’re giving ourselves too many problems and issues. We’re creating a negative attitude around the stadium with our first-half performance."